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Sustainability
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Shaping Sustainable Environments: Advances in Building and Infrastructure Design
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Shaping Sustainable Environments: Advances in Building and Infrastructure Design

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Green Building".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 22 February 2026 | Viewed by 1079

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Nuno D. Cortiços

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Research Centre for Architecture, Urbanism and Design, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
Interests: building physics; environmental comfort; building energy models (BEM); building energy simulation (BES); Internet of Things (IoT); digital twins (BEM + BES + IoT)
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Anna Stefańska

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Civil Engineering, Warsaw University of Life Science, 02-787 Warszawa, Poland
Interests: architecture; construction; sustainability; interdisciplinary design; parametric design; energy saving
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue seeks submissions that examine the dimensions of design in the built environment. Its aim is to consolidate research on approaches that reduce energy use and carbon emissions, strengthen resilience, and improve performance. It welcomes studies that employ methodologies such as simulations, lifecycle assessments, and digital modeling. Topics include the integration of energy systems, the use of bio‐based and recycled materials, and the application of building information modeling (BIM) and sensor networks for performance monitoring. Research addressing construction methods, offsite fabrication, and design strategies for seismic and climate adaptation is also sought. The Special Issue aims to contribute insights that support design decisions in line with the frameworks of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Submitted manuscripts should offer an analysis, supported by data, that advances our understanding of practices in buildings and infrastructure. Research articles, reviews, and case studies that clarify the link between design methods and outcomes in environmental, economic, and social terms are encouraged. We invite researchers and practitioners to contribute to this forum and share results that support the transformation of the built environment toward sustainability.

Dr. Nuno D. Cortiços
Dr. Anna Stefańska
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • built environment
  • ⁠energy use reduction
  • ⁠carbon emissions
  • simulation
  • ⁠building information modeling
  • sustainability

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 1293 KB  
Article
From Nature to Neutral Networks: AI-Driven Biomimetic Optimization in Architectural Design and Fabrication
by Anna Stefańska and Małgorzata Kurcjusz
Sustainability 2025, 17(24), 11333; https://doi.org/10.3390/su172411333 - 18 Dec 2025
Viewed by 448
Abstract
The integration of biomimetics and artificial intelligence (AI) in architecture is reshaping the foundations of computational design. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the current research trends and applications that combine AI-driven modeling with biologically inspired principles to optimize architectural forms, material [...] Read more.
The integration of biomimetics and artificial intelligence (AI) in architecture is reshaping the foundations of computational design. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the current research trends and applications that combine AI-driven modeling with biologically inspired principles to optimize architectural forms, material efficiency, and fabrication processes. By examining recent studies from Q1–Q2 journals (2019–2025), the paper identifies five primary “interfaces” through which AI expands the field of biomimetic design: biological pattern recognition, structural optimization, generative morphogenesis, resource management, and adaptive fabrication. The paper highlights the transition from conventional simulation-based design toward iterative, data-driven workflows integrating machine learning (ML), deep generative models, and reinforcement learning. The findings demonstrate that AI not only serves as a generative tool but also as a learning mechanism capable of translating biological intelligence into architectural logic. The paper concludes by proposing a methodological and educational framework for AI-driven biomimetic optimization, emphasizing the emergence of Artificial Intelligence in Architectural Design (AIAD) as a paradigm shift in architectural education and research. This convergence of biology, algorithms, and material systems is defining a new, adaptive approach to sustainable and intelligent architecture. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Shaping Sustainable Environments: Advances in Building and Infrastructure Design)
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37 pages, 15673 KB  
Article
Assessing the Significance of a Wind-Load Application Methodology for Embodied Carbon in a European High-Rise Building
by Joanna Pietrzak, Mariusz Wrona, Mariusz Rutkowski and Bartosz Olszański
Sustainability 2025, 17(24), 10919; https://doi.org/10.3390/su172410919 - 6 Dec 2025
Viewed by 283
Abstract
The sustainable design of high-rise buildings is linked to the quantity of structural material. This study hypothesises that improved understanding of results from various wind load determination methods enables the safe adoption of lower wind loads, thereby facilitating more sustainable design. For an [...] Read more.
The sustainable design of high-rise buildings is linked to the quantity of structural material. This study hypothesises that improved understanding of results from various wind load determination methods enables the safe adoption of lower wind loads, thereby facilitating more sustainable design. For an 80-m-high reinforced concrete building in Warsaw, wind loads were assessed using both PN-EN 1991-1-4:2008 Eurocode 1 (EC) analysis and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation, with wind tunnel tests excluded. Structural analysis and optimisation of core wall thickness followed. EC-based analyses overestimate loads from forces perpendicular to the façade, underestimate loads from oblique forces and fail to compute the Fx and Fy force components accurately. Involving wind engineering professionals to classify terrain, perform climate analyses, and implement CFD simulations can enhance EC-based analysis and verification. Employing these methods reduced safety margins, permitting a decrease in core wall thickness from 35 to 30 cm. This modification resulted in a 14% reduction in concrete use and an estimated 35 tonnes of CO2-eq savings, thereby improving the design’s sustainability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Shaping Sustainable Environments: Advances in Building and Infrastructure Design)
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